Gun-carriage



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. H. A. RAMSAY. GUN CARRIAGE Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

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H. A.' RAMSAY. G UN CARRIAGE.

No.v 408,746. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY ASHTON RAMSAY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GUN-CARRIAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,746, dated August 13, 1889.

Application tiled September 6 1888. Serial No, 284,746. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, t may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY AsHToN RAM- SAY, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented a certain Improvement in the Construction of Heavy Ordnance, Guns, and Gun-Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in guns, whereby I effectually resist the recoil of the piece by providing cylindrical chambers arranged to receive air, water, or other gaseous or liquid bodies, forming a cushion for the plungers connected to the trunnions of the gun to react against at the time of its discharge; and the objects of my improvement are- First. To check the recoil of the gun so gradually as to prevent a dangerous shock on the carriage without making it necessary, as in other arrangements, to cause the carriage itself to be moved.

Second. To force the gun back into its proper position for firin'. This I do by accumulated air or liquid contained in the aforesaid cylindrical chambers.

Third. By the combination of the piston and chambers attached to the gun itself the greatest amount of elevation and depression is admissible without affecting the power of the resisting medium or its application, the center line of the motion of the piston being always coincident with that of the gun.

Fourth. To construct a gun with the greatest possible strength, according to the material used, whether the gun is constructed of. east or wrought iron, steel, or of bronze, the difficulties of construction being lessened and dangers from unseen iiaws or defects reduced to a minimum, owing to the simple cylindrical form of the barrel without projections, trunnions, or other irregular formations.

Fifth. To enable me to mount the gun on a fixed 'carriage to a central pivot, thereby reducing the space occupied and simplifying the carriage by doing away with the frictionwheels, compression, eccentric gear, dac., and at the same time allowing the gun to be trailed around a circular track, and to enable me to admit air or liquid through the trunnion of the gun without having to resort to complicated expansion jointed pipes.

-of my 'invention Sixth. To arrange the gun-carriage and a platform-table with powerful pneumatic attachments to carry out and render effective and economical the aforesaid ii'nprov'ements.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure 1 is a side elevation, shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the gun and upper portion of the carriage, showing on e-half in section through line efof Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side view in elevation of a modification Fig. 4, Sheet No. 2, represents a side elevation of the gun. and upper portion of the carriage, showing the piece at an extreme elevation run out ready to be discharged. Fig. 5 is intended to illustrate a transverse section of the piece on the line of `the trunnions, disclosing the air-duct in the trunnion. Fig. G shows a sectional View of the trunnion, air-ducts, and three-ported valve on a larger scale.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout.

The gun as shown in Fig. l is supposed to be in the position to be discharged. Chambers B are secured to a re-enforcing band E, and inside of these cylindricalchambers plungers A operate against air or liquid present in the chambers maintained at a high pressure, said gas or liquid being supplied by an accum ulator and pump (not shown in the drawings) of the degree of pressure that may be required, introduced by a regulating valve and pipe through an air-tight stuffing-box C, thence through the trunnions and plungers to the chambers by the channel indicated at D. The barrel of the gun is supposed to slide freely inside the re-enforcing band, on which the trunnions are forged, similar to the piston-rod or trunk of a steam-engine.

The gun is elevated or depressed by a segmental sp tir-quadrant F, secured to one of the trunnions and operated either by the handwheel G or the application of pneumatic or hydraulic power from the same accumulator connected with the chambers. The cheeks of the gun-carriage are built up of steel plates riveted together, and are so attached to the turn-table platform as not to be perfectly rigid, but by providing oblong holes allow a IOO certain amount oit' movement. The turn-table I has a center bearing on an an [3i-friction ring J, besides the rim bearing on the conical Wheels K, operated between the tracks L and 5 M. The table, together with the gun-carriage attached, is made to revolve by means of the center upright shaft N, bevel-gears O and P, horizontal shaft R, and air-cylinder S, a handle T being provided convenient to the hand 1o of the gunner.

Fig. 3 represents a diierent plan of securing the same object, which may be desirable to use in same cases. Here the re-enforcing band carrying the trunnions is secured to the gun, and the trunnions consequently move with the gun; but I arrange the trunnions to work in sliding composition guide-blocks. My obj ect of preventing lateral motion to the carriage, while permitting circular motion and 2o taking up the recoil by accumulated pressure 3o I therefore do not claim such combination;

but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of the compression-cyl inder attached to the barrel of a gun, with hollowA plunger-rods which enter the cylinders and are secured to the trunnions, which are independent of the longitudinal movement of the barrel, said trunnions being holio low, and a suitable valve governing` commur nication through the passage in the trunnions.

2. The combination, with a gun and compression-cylinders secured to the barrel thereof, of a re-enforcing band encircling but permitting free movement of the barrel, said band having hollow trunnions rigidly secured thereto and carrying hollow plunger-rods, which operate in the compression-cylinders,

and a valve connected to and governing the passage in the hollow trunnions, whereby access of air to or from the compression-cylinders may be regulated.

3. The combination, with a gun and compression-cylinder secured to the barrel thereoi", of a re-enforcing band encircling but permittin g free movement of the barrel, said barrel having hollow trunnions rigidly secured thereto and carrying hollow plunger rods, which operate in the compression-cylinders, an accumulator, conduits connecting the accumulator and the hollow trunnions, and a three-way valve in the conduit, such valve having also communication with the open air.

4. The combination of the compression-cylinders attached to the barrel of a gun, hollow plunger-rods entering the cylinders and secured to the trunnions independent of the longitudinal movement of the barrel, said trunnions being hollow, andV a suitable valve governing communication through the passage ,in the trunnions, all combined with a rack sector secured to the trunnions, whereby the gun may be elevated or depressed and its longitudinal movement governed at any elevation, substantially as set forth.

HENRY ASHTON RAMSAY.

Witnesses:

WM. T. DONALDSON, FULDR C. SLINGHEFF. 

